Something Meaningful
by mcartemis
Summary: Rosalie finds herself questioning what is meaningful in her life... Alice has a vision that involves the new girl, Bella Swan... could the vision shed some light on Rosalie's dark night of the soul?
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fan fiction. I am learning as I go... ;-)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does; I am just borrowing the characters and the story.

Chapter one

BPOV

I am sitting in the cafeteria listening to my new friends Jessica, Angela, Mike, and Eric, who have befriended me on the first day of my junior year at Forks High, chit chat at our table about the usual teenage drama. I seem to have become popular in only half a school day! I don't know why; other than being the new girl, there is nothing really special about me. In fact, I would say that I am just a plain boring 17 year old girl. I spend most of my free time reading. I love the classics; Wuthering Heights being my favorite book. Lord knows how many times I have read it.

Mike is sitting beside me shamelessly flirting with me. I guess it's flattering having a boy show interest in me. None of the boys back in Phoenix, where I had been living with my mom and her new husband, paid much attention to me. I think Mike is kind of cute but I don't particularly feel anything more than friendship towards him. Jessica, however, sure seems to like him. I can see how upset she is getting by him flirting with me.

I was pondering my situation when I happen to look up across the cafeteria noticing a pair of honey colored eyes gazing at me. The owner of said eyes happened to be the most beautiful person I have ever seen. She was sitting at a table with four others who could also be described as beautiful with the same pale colored skin tone as her but they did not possess her magnanimous beauty. I noticed her golden blond hair falling down below her shoulders. I found myself becoming breathless as I couldn't take my eyes away from hers. I couldn't help but wonder why such an exquisite Being would bother to even notice my existence. I must say, I felt baffled while I stood frozen under her hypnotizing gaze.

Jessica broke my trance when she said, "Oh, I see you have discovered the Cullens; also known as the _beautiful people_." Her tone was sarcastic as she emphasized the last two words.

"The Cullens?" I asked frowning.

"They are the adopted children of Dr. Cullen and his wife: Alice, the dark haired girl; Edward, the reddish brown haired boy; Emmett, the dark haired boy; Jasper, the blond haired boy; and Rosalie, the blond haired girl. Alice & Jasper and Rosalie & Emmett are couples. There is a rumor that Edward is gay."

"Is that so," I responded disinterestedly; not really caring much about Edward's sexual orientation. It was the blond girl, Rosalie, that I was interested in knowing more about. I found myself looking back at her table, only to find all five of them looking at me. I felt myself immediately blush; my pale skin turning pink as I quickly looked away too embarrassed to continue looking at them as I was unaccustomed to being the center of attention. Soon after, I heard the bell ring indicating the end of lunch. Mike offered to walk me to my next class, Biology, which we had together.

RPOV

Thank goodness for lunch period. Apart from the end of the school day, it's my favorite time period. I can't believe I have to sit through another God forsaken class today. I am bored out of my mind at this school. I am way too old to be pretending to be a teenager over and over again. Sure my physical body may be 18yrs old but my non-physical mind is 98yrs old! This condition is what I detest most about being an Immortal Vampire. On the outside, nothing changes. Daily life and routines stay the same day in & day out; no apparent progress can be seen as time is frozen. How many times does Carlisle expect me to attend High School! I would much rather be doing something that matters to me.

_Like what, Rosalie?_ What? Who said…? Edward! Get out of my head and stop invading my privacy.

_I'm sorry_, he telepathically says to me. _I just wish you weren't so angry and unhappy all the time. It would be wonderful if you found something meaningful to your life._

I pondered over the word, 'Meaningful'. What other than Blood is really meaningful to a Vampire? I guess another Vampire would say that their mate ranks up there with what is most meaningful to their existence. I have had a mate, in Emmett, for several decades now. His love for me and patience with me certainly has made my existence better, more tolerable, after my horrific experience with Royce and his friends at the end of my Human life. If Edward thinks I am Angry & Unhappy now, he should have remembered what I was like before Emmett came into my life. I was a totally raging BITCH then: angry at Carlisle for changing me; angry at Edward for not being attracted to me as I was used to all men admiring me; unhappy that I would never have a family of my own with children and grandchildren.

I was shaken out of my internal musings when Alice's eyes suddenly glazed over going into her alternate trance state where she receives visions of the future. We all sat motionless waiting to hear what Alice was seeing. When she came out of her trance state, Alice's eyes widened with recognition of something. She looked at me excitedly. She tried to convey what her vision was but was so hyper excited that none of us could make sense of what she was trying to say. Jasper leaned in grabbing her hand sending her waves of calming energy. Jasper's manipulation of her emotions was starting to work as we could visibly see her calming down as her eyes searched the cafeteria hall until they landed on a particular table of teenage humans.

We all turned to look at the table that Alice was looking at. With my Vampire hearing, I could hear the humans sitting at the table engaged in the normal boring teenage conversations. I was about to turn my attention back to Alice, as my siblings had, when I noticed 'her'. She was the only human at the table not talking but listening intently to the others carrying on about whatever. Her hair was brown and long covering her face somewhat. There was nothing about her that necessarily stood out more different than any other human except that when I focused my eyes on her, I could not turn away. I felt this magnetic pull towards her which I could not explain. Then, as if she 'felt' me looking at her, she looked up in my direction and our eyes locked in this intense gaze. I was thankful that my Vampire exterior conveyed a cool & collected demeanor while internally I was struggling with a tidal wave of emotions of which I had no recollection of ever having experienced before; intense feelings of attraction and longing.

The stare fest finally ended when that moronic girl, Jessica, started telling her about my family. It wasn't until then that I realized that my entire family, except for Alice, was staring at me with a confused/questioning look. "What?" I asked. Emmett responded, "What did you find so fascinating at that table that you have been staring over there all this time?"

Alice, grinning from ear to ear, saved me from having to answer when she proceeded to inform everybody that her vision included the new girl sitting at that table. Edward shared with us that most of the school conversations today were about the new girl, named Isabella Swan, daughter of Police Chief Swan. He also had 'heard' (i.e. heard thoughts more likely) that she preferred to be called Bella. It was at this point that we all looked over, again, to the table focusing our attention on the new girl, Bella, when she, again, happened to look up and this time see all of us staring at her at once. She turned the prettiest rosy color, all her blood flooding to her face, as realization hit her that she was at the center of our attention; immediately looking away from us.

Well, you can imagine the effect her blushing had on a table full of vegetarian (i.e. only drink animal blood) Vampires… Emmett and Edward had to hold Jasper down as he is the newest 'vegetarian' among us; still finding it difficult to be around humans.

In the midst of all this commotion with Jasper, I noticed that Bella left the cafeteria with that annoying boy, Mike. I was suddenly feeling very irritated. "Alice, will you please share with us why your vision regarding this Human, Bella, has any importance to us," I yelped impatiently. Alice turned to me saying, "Oh Rosalie… Bella…

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Something Meaningful**

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; just borrowing the characters.

RPOV

"… _Bella_ is going to be one of us!" Alice stated excitedly. "That's not all… there is something coming that will affect the whole town; it may already be here." We all glanced at each other trying to fathom what this change could be.

"Now now, students… lunch period is over. Please hurry along to your next class," bellowed Principal Greene as he approached our table.

"Of course, Mr. Greene; my siblings and I will be heading for class immediately," Edward responded with a smile.

Glaring at Alice, I said, "What do you mean she is going to be one of us?"

Edward got up out of his chair. "I believe it would be best if we continue this conversation tonight at the house. I will call Carlisle and let him know we need to have a family meeting tonight to discuss Alice's vision," he said.

I bit my lower lip, hesitatingly agreeing to postpone the discussion and briskly left the table heading toward my next class.

For the rest of the day, I couldn't stop thinking about Bella and what Alice's vision of her becoming one of us meant for me and my family. I felt completely frustrated not knowing why or how this human would become a Vampire. What exactly did Alice mean by 'one of us'? Also, what change was coming that would affect not only my family but the town, as well? Would Bella become a member of our family or just another Vampire in the town of Forks? Was there another Vampire that was going to descend on Forks and turn her? I just couldn't shake the feeling that this change coming somehow posed a danger to me and my family.

BPOV

On the drive home, I couldn't stop thinking about that girl, Rosalie; how her golden eyes seemed to penetrate to my very core. Why does this girl unnerve me so? Sure, her beauty is off the charts but what's up with the unusual eye color and extreme pale skin tone? I can't say that I have ever had a crush on a girl or a boy for that matter… wait… did I just use the word 'crush' in the same thought with the word 'girl'? Oh God… what's happening to me?

Well, I can't say that the feelings she evokes in me are unpleasant. On the contrary, I feel exhilarated just thinking about her beautiful hypnotizing gaze. Could I really be crushing on this girl? But I don't even know her. Sure, I know her name and some of her family history with being adopted by the Cullen family and all but I really don't know her. I wondered what she thought about me…

By the time I reached Charlie's house, I was feeling rather restless. The forest surrounding the house is so majestic. I smelled the scent of the evergreens; feeling the urge to explore its shadowy depth. But I reminded myself that I should get started on my homework right away before Charlie gets home.

Making my way into the kitchen, I noticed that Charlie had left me a note attached to the refrigerator door. The note mentioned that he would be home late due to the Forks Police Dept. working with the State Police Dept. in investigating a series of disappearances occurring in Forks and the surrounding towns. My heart skipped a beat with excitement knowing I could postpone doing my homework and take a stroll in the woods, after all…

RPOV

Edward drove the Volvo into the garage. When we entered the house, Carlisle and Esme were sitting on the couch waiting for us. Carlisle nodded to each of us and motioned with his hand for us to take a seat in the living room. Esme smiled as she greeted us, "Welcome home, children."

Everyone proceeded to take a seat, except me. I chose to stand against the wall with my arms crossed facing everyone. I wanted to be standing to meet head on whatever might be coming this way.

Edward was the first to speak; no surprise there… "Carlisle, as I mentioned to you over the phone, Alice, had a vision today regarding the new girl at school, Bella Swan-"

"Yes, Chief Swan's daughter. I overheard a couple of the staff talking about it at the hospital today," he said.

Edward continued, "according to Alice's vision, Bella, is going to become one of us; whatever that may mean."

"I see," Carlisle said as he placed his fingers on his chin as if pondering this new development. "Alice, could you tell us exactly what you saw in your vision?"

Alice sat up a bit in her seat, excitement showing in her face and voice as she spoke, "Well, we were all just sitting at our usual table in the school cafeteria, each of us immersed in our own thoughts, when all of a sudden I received the vision of the girl, Bella, and…" then Alice paused, looked up at me hesitating, then proceeded to say cautiously, "I saw Bella and Rosalie walking together arm in arm; Bella's eyes were bright red and her skin tone was as pale as ours."

As can be expected after such a revelation, everyone in the room snapped their heads up, looking over at me with expressions of surprise and disbelief. Of course, I immediately went on the defensive: "That is absurd!" I yelled. "Why on Earth would I be walking with a human, much less, turn an insignificant girl?"

Emmett chose this moment to bring his brand of comic relief to the tense situation by bellowing, "Babe, why didn't you tell me you wanted to spice our marriage up by bringing a girl into our-"

"Shut up, Emmett! This is no time for your stupid jokes," I said irritably.

"Alright everyone, let's keep our cool over the situation, shall we?" Carlisle said. _Easy for him to say; he's not the one being accused of traipsing around with and turning a human girl._

"Carlisle, there is another change coming," Alice stated, "besides Bella's transformation into a Vampire, that will affect the whole town. In fact, whatever this change is may already be here in Forks but the vision is still hazy, as though, it were still crystallizing into form. Whatever is coming are dark and, possibly, more monstrous than a Vampire." Everyone went silent for a moment contemplating Alice's words.

"I certainly can appreciate the complexity of your vision, Alice. But we still don't know how this future event of Rosalie walking arm in arm with Bella and Bella being turned occurs either," he stated. He turned to face me, "Rosalie, have you had any contact with Bella prior to Alice's vision?"

"Absolutely not!" I stated vehemently.

Then Edward decided to pipe in with his two cents, "You know, Rosalie's thoughts prior to Alice's vision were centered on questioning what is meaningful in her life…"

Emmett immediately looked over to me, his questioning eyes focusing intently on mine. I looked away facing toward Edward, "Edward, I have repeatedly told you to STOP invading my private thoughts. Whatever I may or may not have been thinking prior to Alice's vision has nothing to do with me in some future time walking arm in arm with this human girl who means nothing to me. Capiche? So, for crying out loud let it go!"

"But Rosalie…" _Oh great… now Jasper, the emotional wonder boy, has decided to jump into the fray… what is this, open season on attacking Rosalie Day? _"… I could feel your strong emotions toward the girl. You were feeling intense attraction…"

"Enough! My thoughts and feelings are my own damn business. I am sick and tired of you people invading my private thoughts and feelings. I don't care in the slightest that your abilities are considered a GIFT in the Vampire world! It's just plain rude to intrude on others privacy. I, for one, am done with this charade of a meeting where I am being crucified for no substantial reason, other than for your enjoyment."

"Rosalie, crucifying you, as you have so aptly put it, is not our intent here," Carlisle said. "Rather, we seek to find answers to this most puzzling mystery that Alice's vision presents us with."

"Fine, but you will have to figure it out without me. I am going hunting," I said as I stalked out of the room at Vampire speed; too embarrassed to look directly at Emmett who was bending over with his head in his hands.

_A/N - Unbeknownst to Rosalie, at that time, Alice had another vision after she left the house where Bella's future went dark and fuzzy… Alice's visions are subjective based on one's latest decision… whose decision on the future had changed, Rosalie's or Bella's?_

_**Next chapter, Rosalie and Bella's lives intersect at a crossroads…**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Something Meaningful**

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

A/N: I wanted to thank those of you who have reviewed, favorited, and/or are following this story. As I am totally new to writing stories, I really appreciate the support and encouragement you have given me. Thank you! So, on with the story...

RPOV

I couldn't run fast enough out of there... feeling completely humiliated. I pummeled some trees with my fists as I ran through the dense foliage, trying to release the rage within me. I couldn't believe my family put me through what felt like an interrogation.

Finally, I came to a halt, after having run a distance from the house, in a deeper part of the woods; closing my eyes listening for the sound of prey. I smelled the deer before I heard it running up ahead. I reacted instinctively, tearing off in the direction of the scent… I crouched low as I neared it… waiting for the right moment… and then, I jumped high over the bush that was covering me, landing on the unsuspecting doe, tightening my arms around it as I pushed it down to the ground, sinking my razor sharp teeth into its neck, drinking it completely dry.

I felt no remorse for the animal whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Indeed, the Monster in me relished the kill. As I washed in a nearby river cleaning myself off as best I could, I noticed the reflection of my face in the water. While humans only saw a beautiful perfect face, I could see beyond the illusory beauty into the face of the Monster that lurked within staring back at me ready to chase down and hunt any vulnerable prey.

Vulnerable prey… I thought of the human girl, Bella. Did my family believe that I would turn an innocent human girl so that she could become 'one of us'? A Monster in a beautiful outer package. They knew, of course, about my past… how difficult the transition into the Vampire existence had been for me. Then two years after I was turned, I did ask Carlisle to turn Emmett for me when I found him mauled by the bear. But I have lived with the guilt and shame of this selfish request ever since.

I detest this existence. If I could become human again, I would sell my very soul, if I had one. Can a Vampire have a soul? Does it make a difference whether you drink human or animal blood in regards to possessing a soul? Are we forever and eternally damned? I wonder what Carlisle thinks?

I sat on a large boulder and slumped my shoulders as I contemplated what significant meaning or value I could ascribe to this existence as a Vampire. I smiled as I thought about what my life would have been like if I had been able to live a full human life. All at once, full realization hit me that given a choice, I would have chosen to have been left to die in that alleyway that night that Royce and his friends savagely assaulted me than to have been 'saved' into this horrid existence I was living now as a Vampire; forever frozen, never progressing, never changing…

I still couldn't understand the connection I was to have, according to Alice's vision, with the human girl, Bella… Although, I tried to strongly deny any feelings for her to my family earlier during the 'Cullen inquisition', I couldn't deny it to myself, if I was to be truthful, that this morning's incident in the cafeteria where her eyes gazed deeply into mine had a significant effect on me. The question remains, "What effect?" Since Emmett came into my life, I have not felt interest in anyone else; certainly not a human, much less, human girl.

Suddenly, I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a blood curdling scream coming from further in the forest. I immediately jumped off the rock I was resting on, running in the direction of the screams that were getting more desperate and louder from what sounded to be a human female.

As I neared the location of the screaming human girl, I could see the clearing the girl was in… and there in front of her was the biggest black wolf, foaming at the mouth, walking toward her. Once I reached the area where they stood, I finally was close enough to make out her human face… I gasped as I recognized the human as none other than _Bella_…

My body froze in place. What was I to do? Here stood the human girl that, for all I knew, could possibly pose a danger to me and my family through exposure of our secret way of life here in Forks. Should I intervene and save her from the rabid wolf? Or should I walk away letting things run their inevitable course? I was paralyzed as my eyes focused on the scene…

Bella had picked up a large stick holding it in front of her trying to keep the foaming wolf at bay. The wolf was crouching down getting ready to make its leap toward her… then my eyes saw it… the blood trickling down Bella's left arm… a loud growl emanated from the deepest part of my Being… I leaped into the air, my teeth exposed for the kill.

As I jumped onto the wolf's back, I heard Bella gasp as her surprised eyes met mine… she walked backwards into a hedge never taking her fearful eyes off of me. I secured my arms around the rabid wolf, sinking my teeth into the back of its neck; hearing a loud snap as my strong teeth broke its neck.

It was then that my heightened senses picked up, again, the scent of the blood on the girl's arm… I got up off the wolf's limp body, stepping over it as I walked toward the girl. Her eyes were open wide still transfixed on mine which undoubtedly were pitch black. As I approached, she questioned fearfully, "Wh…What are you?"

I did not respond to her question but rather tore a piece of her shirt off and proceeded to wrap the cloth around her wound. All the while, fighting back the thirst in my throat for her blood and swallowing the venom filling my mouth. I grabbed her other arm pulling her with me as I took a step forward when, suddenly, the earth beneath our feet opened up and swallowed us whole.

We found ourselves falling deeper and deeper into the abyss. The earth around us was closing in so that there was no longer an opening at the top from whence we fell…


	4. Chapter 4

Something Meaningful

Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and story alerts!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

RPOV

Using all my strength, I pushed up against the pile of rock and dirt that I was buried under lifting myself up. As soon as I was free from underneath the rubble, my eyes scanned the area for any possible threat to me. Once my senses concluded that there was no immediate danger facing me, I stood still listening for Bella's heartbeat. I did not know if a human could have survived the fall. My eyes were closed as I put all my focus on hearing a movement or sound that would point me to where she was buried under. I concentrated on her scent… trying to bypass all the other smells bombarding me in this small enclosed area.

I started calling out her name. "Bella? Bella! It's Rosalie, can you hear me?" I was about to abandon this method and proceed to check under every mound of dirt & rock when I heard the faintest whisper… … so low and weak that if I hadn't been concentrating so hard on it, I might have missed it. I refocused all my auditory senses to the area that seemed to be from where the low whisper came.

It was then that I heard the slow but steady sound of her heartbeat. I ran in the direction of the pulsing heart. "Hold on, Bella… I am going to dig you out of there," I reassured her. Then I began to remove rocks and dirt until I could see her motionless dirt covered body.

I grabbed her left wrist with one hand and extended my other arm around her shoulder lifting her up to a sitting position; scraping off her as much dirt as possible with my hand. Her eyes were closed. I shook her gently as I called out to her, "Bella. Bella can you open your eyes?"

She started to slowly blink… as if testing the waters. After a couple blinks, she opened her eyes completely. I watched her closely noting how the expression on her face went from drowsiness/confusion to total alertness as her memories of the recent events seemingly flashed back to her. Panic started to set in her body as she looked at me; remembering, I deduced, the monster, _that was me_, she saw kill the wolf.

Wanting to reduce her fearful stares and rapid heartbeat, I stepped back away from her creating some distance between us. "Are you able to move all your limbs?" I asked. Without taking her eyes off of me, she proceeded to test the mobility of each limb – giving me a nod when she was done.

As I walked around the enclosed cave area we were trapped in, I was thinking out loud: "I had no idea this underground cave existed in Forks. Surely, it must have tunnels leading out to the surface. If I just use enough force I am sure I could break my way through this wall surrounding us…" The distance I put between us must have done the trick as I could see and hear that Bella was a lot calmer than she had been earlier. She sat quietly just listening to my verbal meanderings.

I was exploring the wall encircling us, feeling its texture and assessing its width so that I could determine how much force it was going to take to pummel us out of there when Bella snapped me out of my concentration by finally speaking. "Rosalie? … you… aren't human are you?"

I froze in place, not turning around to face her. I knew this line of questioning was coming sooner or later. I guess I was hoping for later. I, finally, responded, "What do you think I am, Bella?"

She took a human moment to get the courage to answer. "Well, your skin is abnormally pale, your inhumanly strong and fast, your teeth are razor sharp & extremely strong, your eyes switch from a golden honey color to pitch black, and I noticed when your fingers touched me that they were ice cold."

"So, what conclusions have you drawn from these observations?" I asked.

"Before I share my theory," she said, "I need to know one more thing."

"Yes?" I replied.

She hesitated at first, as if questioning herself on whether or not to ask, then seemed to have made up her mind, asking, "Rosalie, do you have a heartbeat?"

I could no longer keep my back to her. The time had come to face my interrogator. Regardless of the consequences, of this I was sure there would be, I had to come full circle on this path that had thrown Bella and I together, here, wherever that was…

With all the grace I could muster, I turned around facing Bella, my eyes locking with hers, neither one of us breaking the gaze after an inordinate time had passed; it was as if all time stood still. Well, I suppose for me it does. But for Bella, time was not on her side, as they say. Each moment we lingered in this underground grave, was time taken away from her life force.

"I do not," I finally answered. Bella's eyes still held my gaze but her face showed a release of tension that puzzled me. After all, I just informed the girl that I was a 'heartless', _pun intended, I mused to myself_, caricature of a person. Wouldn't the appropriate human response be panic and fear, an increased sense of tension, rather than decrease?

"I see," Bella responded, breaking our gaze as she looked away. After a moment's pause, she sighed, looking back toward me, questioning earnestly, "Are you a Vampire, Rosalie?"

I looked into her chocolate brown eyes and without hesitation said, "Yes, Bella… yes, I am." Surprisingly, I felt a sense of relief/release of tension in me after finally being able to 'come out', sort to speak, without feeling immediate worry that my family was in danger now that our secret was revealed. Maybe it was the fact that Bella and I were isolated from the outside world that served to give me peace in the moment. I hadn't felt this kind of peace in a long time… maybe never in my existence as a Vampire.

My family and I were always protective of our secret; moving to another location if any hint of suspicion about our way of life surfaced. Yet, now, a mere human girl had penetrated through my barriers and the walls I had built up for so long as protection… protection against the outside world invading my private world. I smiled as it occurred to me that maybe if my walls could come tumbling down then perhaps it was a positive sign that the physical walls that held us captive inside this place could also be tore down; regaining our Freedom.

Bella had been watching me intently during my internal musings. Her voice brought me back to our present moment. "So, if you are a Vampire, then I assume your whole family is too." I nodded. "Wow! I thought all the stories about vampires and other monsters were just myths. I would have never believed it to be true if I… I hadn't come to Forks."

"Are you afraid of me now that you know what I am?" I asked with a curious tone as my eyes looked intently into hers.

She frowned contemplating my question. "No… I know that's not a normal response… I feel different around you than I usually feel around others."

With a smirk on my face, I watched Bella's response to my question, "Different? How so…?"

She blushed and a panic set in her face as she tried to explain, "Uh… well… I get nervous around you… like I am afraid I will say the wrong thing."

I walked toward the back of the enclosed area putting some distance between us and leaned up against the wall with my arms crossed. Looking over to her with my perfected stern face, I said, "Bella, you should be afraid. You need to have some self-preservation instincts. Why do you think the students at school stay away from me and my siblings?" She shrugged without answering.

I rolled my eyes. "They sense that there is something dangerous about us. Their instincts tell them to put some distance between us. Now, my family is different from the rest of our kind. We call ourselves Vegetarians since we do not drink human blood, only that of animals."

Bella seemed to visibly relax when she heard my description of our diet as 'vegetarian'. "Maybe that is why I do not fear you. I must've sensed that you were different somehow," she stated excitedly.

I felt myself growing angry with her ignorance. "Bella, even though my family and I don't drink human blood it doesn't mean were not tempted by it! We keep our distance from humans so that we don't lose control. The closest, I can compare it to is a recovering alcoholic or drug addict. Even though humans stop drinking alcohol or taking drugs once an addict the potential always exists to, 'fall off the wagon', as you humans say."

I could see her face lighting up with recognition and understanding of the analogy I had just described. "So, now that you are stuck in here with me so close, does that mean that you will be tempted to drink my blood?"

Our eyes met. I heard her heart rate speed up. My eyes veered toward the throbbing pulse point on her neck. A low growl emanated from my throat. Bella's eyes widened at the sound… My throat began to burn.

As I stood there against the wall, I couldn't help but think just how very easy it would be to just close the gap between us and indulge my desire for her sweet red nectar. Of course, I reminded myself that I was a devout vegetarian. In fact, aside from Carlisle, I had the most control of my family members. I never killed a human for their blood since I was turned in 1933. Even when I took my revenge on Royce and his friends for assaulting me, I tortured them to death but never drank their blood. Just the idea of drinking their foul blood repulsed me; wanting no part of them inside me, ever again.

I realized Bella's eyes were still transfixed on me waiting for a response to her question. "Indeed our circumstance does throw a wrench into my normal routine of avoiding close contact with humans. But I just hunted prior to crossing paths with you so I will be fine for another 1-2 weeks without feeding."

Bella gulped, "one… to two weeks?"

I could not help a wide grin forming on my face at her reaction. I found myself getting lost in her brown eyes then noticing how smoothly her brown hair flowed down the length of her back. I noticed the cute freckles on her face. I could not recall ever being so enamored with a human before since being turned. "Bella, I do not intend for us to still be stuck here for that amount of time. I am going to start digging us out of here as soon as -"

Suddenly, I snapped my head toward a sound coming from the other side of a pile of boulders blocking us in. Immediately, my senses picked up the foulest scent I had ever smelled; realization dawning on me that some Humanoid form(s) on the other side of the rocks was trying to get access to where Bella and I were trapped in.

I quietly walked over to Bella. She looked at me with questioning eyes as she too had heard the outside sounds. I placed my finger on my lips indicating to her to be silent. She nodded in acknowledgement. I extended my open hand to her. She placed her hand in mine. We ran together toward the back of the underground chamber. I frantically searched for somewhere to hide us until I could assess the level of danger. Finally, I found a small, narrow opening in a wall hidden behind a boulder with just barely enough room for the both of us to squeeze in standing.

The outside sounds were getting louder and closer. With no time to spare, I stepped into the narrow opening pulling Bella into me holding her tight against my chest. As her sweet scent washed over me, I found myself, surprisingly, overcome by a strong need to protect her.

I smiled to myself as it dawned on me that, although, being in such close physical proximity to Bella caused my throat to burn and a low growl to be released, I knew that in my newfound role as her Protector, I would sacrifice myself first before I allowed myself or anyone else to bring harm to her.

_And so it was that on this day, I, Rosalie Lillian Hale, finally found something meaningful in my Vampire existence. _

_**Next chapter, Humanoids among us…**_


	5. Chapter 5

Something Meaningful

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I'm just borrowing the characters.

A/N: So, are you ready for the adventures that lie ahead for our two Heroines? As always, your reviews and story alerts are appreciated!

BPOV

Although I knew that we could possibly be in danger since we didn't know who or what was outside trying to force its way in, I could not remember ever feeling so safe than in my current moment in the arms of _**my**_ vampire… My vampire? When did Rosalie become my 'anything'?

Yet I knew somehow deep inside that a connection exists between us. I've felt it since the first time our eyes met in the cafeteria. I hope she feels it too. Could she possibly ever return my feelings? I can't help but wonder if we never had fallen through the ground if we ever would have gotten even this far in our relationship… relationship? What kind of relationship do we really have, other than, both of us being trapped in some underground cave with who knows what out there?

I closed my eyes leaning in closer to Rosalie's cheek; breathing in her particular honeydew scent. Her breath hitched in response to our physical closeness. I wanted to preserve this intimate moment for as long as I could. I relaxed my body into hers. She didn't push me away; instead, she allowed herself to relax her body into mine, as well. Rosalie's arms embraced me tighter as her rose colored lips caressed my ear whispering, "It's going to be ok, Bella. I won't let anything happen to you."

Suddenly, a huge blast could be heard… I felt terrified; my heart racing inside my chest. I grabbed on tighter to Rosalie. Her attention was focused on the grunting noises and foul smell emanating from our visitors. From where we were hidden, we could not see who or what had entered our area. I could hear the grunting sounds alternating pitch and tone. It was almost as if it was a language, albeit foreign to me, being 'spoken' by the intruders.

I was about to whisper to Rosalie regarding my language theory when I caught a whiff of the foul smell; intensifying as if it were getting closer. It was almost tangible to the touch. Rosalie and I stared into each other's eyes intently… no words were needed, as we both knew that one of the intruders was getting nearer to us.

Instinctively, I tried to hold my breath in, trying to make as little noise or movement as possible. Then my eyes widened in terror… just off to the side of where we were hidden from view, I saw 'It'. The 'Creature' was walking on two legs, had two arms extended at its sides, and one ugly looking head moving side to side searching the area. It had some kind of device in its hand it was using to survey the area.

I can only describe it as some form of a Reptilian Humanoid standing 7 feet tall; a kind of green scaly 'Lizard Man' is what comes to mind. As incredulous as this all seems, I have to remind myself that up until just recently I didn't even know that vampires existed, much less, monstrous looking Humanoids with scaly skin and foul smell.

Before I had time to process everything going on… I heard a man's voice, speaking English, "Yes sir… the team is still searching for the possible intruders… the Reps just blasted through the boulder that was blocking off an area of the North sector … I'm sorry sir? Could you repeat that, sir, the radio is breaking up… new orders, sir? But sir, we haven't had time to do a thorough check yet of the North sector… Yes sir, my team is on our way. Roger out."

Within the next minute, we overheard the man, called by others in his group 'Sergeant', ordering his team to leave the area and return to headquarters due to a security breach at the main station. The reptilian Humanoids followed the Sergeant and his men.

After a short while when we felt that they were really gone… Rosalie motioned with her hand for us to get out of the hidden hole in the wall. She stepped out first, looked around, and then extended her arms out to me to help me out of the hole. I turned to her, asking, "Where in the world did we end up? The Twilight Zone?" keeping my voice low in case those Humanoids could hear us from a far.

Rosalie frowned, as she responded, "I have a bad feeling about this place… it seems as though the Military is utilizing secret underground bases and is involved with Humanoid Species. What could they be up to? Bella, we have to get out of here… soon."

While Rosalie was talking, I was having a difficult time concentrating on what she was saying. I kept getting distracted, feeling dizzy and irritable, scratching my left forearm where the wolf had bitten me. It was really itching for some reason. I looked down at my arm noticing that the wound area was a reddish color and there was swelling in the area around the bite marks.

Rosalie must have noticed that there was something wrong with me when she called out my name, "Bella? How are you feeling? You don't look so good." She stepped closer to me and placed her hand on my forehead. "You are burning hot!" she said. "Even with my cold hand I can tell that your body temperature is higher than normal; you are sweating profusely."

Oh no, I thought… "Rosalie, maybe my wound from the wolf bite is infected." Suddenly, I felt real weak and confused; feeling my knees buckle under me…

Rosalie reached out grabbing me before I could hit the ground. She gently placed me down on the ground. "Bella, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I am going to call out some symptoms and I need you to let me know if you are having any of the symptoms I name, ok?" I nodded that I understood .

"Bella, are you feeling dizzy, confused, irritable, itching at the bite area, achy, weakness, or a headache? Rosalie questioned. "Any of those symptoms?"

"Yes, all of them," I answered honestly. "What does it mean, Rosalie?"

Rosalie's skin tone appeared to turn paler than it already displays. She slumped her shoulders as she walked away from me. Running her fingers through her hair as she shook her head back and forth, Rosalie berated herself, "How stupid and ignorant can I be to not have realized this before?"

"Rosalie? You're scaring me. What is it?"

When Rosalie finally looked back at me, her eyes looked dead, an empty shell, as if all life had been extinguished out of her. When she spoke, her voice was so low that I could hardly understand what she was saying, "Bella, the wolf that bit you was foaming at the mouth and its erratic movements suggest delirium."

"What are you trying to say, Rosalie?" fear welling up in me as my own suspicions were starting to creep up in my mind.

Her eyes met mine, anger then sadness emanating from them this time, as she said, "The wolf was rabid, Bella. You show the symptoms of initial onset of the rabies virus."

"What? No! It can't be. I...I can't have rabies." I was really starting to get nauseous now. My head was spinning out of control. It was just all too much for me to handle; on top of being trapped in some Government/Military underground cave/base with a vampire, reptilian humanoids, and who knows what else exists in this insane world I've landed in.

What the heck has happened to me? Where did the normalcy of my life go? I've lost track of time but wasn't I just attending my first day at school in Forks? Somewhere in the span of 24-48 hours, I have found myself in another Parallel Reality where monsters and government conspiracy theories are real. Maybe… just maybe this is all a dream… no nightmare more like it. If I just pinch myself hard enough maybe I will wake up - "Ouch! darn it… wake up, Bella!" I start screaming at myself.

Rosalie rushes over to me when she sees me in distress. She sits down beside me taking me into her arms, placing her cheek against mine, rocking me side to side, and trying to soothe me. "Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. I should have gotten to you sooner before the wolf had a chance to bite you." She uses her finger to wipe away my wayward tears that have started to cascade down my face. She tenderly caresses my cheek with her hand as she sings a soft lullaby. Her voice is soothing to my dying soul and I welcome the darkness of sleep.

After some time had passed, I startled awake feeling disoriented. Rosalie was still holding me as we lay together in a corner of the room. "It's ok. I've got you," she said softly. I was still feeling not quite like myself and still getting used to this sweet side of Rosalie which she had never shown me before.

"Rosalie, what am I going to do to combat the rabies?" My voice tinged with anxiousness.

"I've been thinking it through while you were asleep. I have a plan," she says. "I am going to find a way out of here and get you to the hospital so you can be treated properly."

"But Rosalie, what if we can't find our way out in time? My symptoms are already progressing. Soon, I will go mad and you will have to put me down as I will become a rabid human."

"No Bella, it won't come to that. I am confident that I will be able to find a way out of this place."

"Rosalie? What about if you turn me into a vampire, like you? Wouldn't - "

Rosalie jumped up, tearing herself away from my arms with a furious look on her face. "Absolutely not! I will not sacrifice the purity of your human life for the abomination of a vampire existence…" She paced back and forth, running her fingers through her hair in exasperation.

"Bella, I can't believe you would choose to give up your humanity so easily… I wasn't given a choice to keep my humanity… someone else took that choice away from me and chose this vampire existence for me."

"Rosalie, why are you so against living a vampire existence? You are one of the most caring people I have come to know."

"You don't know me, Bella! I have killed humans for revenge."

"I may not know your past or who you have been but my heart knows your heart. Rosalie, I trust you like I have never trusted anyone… and believe me when I say that I don't trust easily. In the time that we have been together in this god forsaken cave, I have seen you change from a cold, distant, rude stranger to a warm, sweet friend. And although we haven't known each other long, I have come to consider you a friend."

"Oh Bella… I have come to see you as a friend, as well. It's just the thought of you losing your vibrant life as a human to this frozen, stale existence I lead… makes… makes me crazy inside…" Rosalie looks away momentarily, pausing.

Then sighs and turns back to face me; her eyes locking with mine. "Perhaps, it is because I have grown so fond of you." She says smiling as she walks back to where I am sitting. She sits down beside me, placing her arm around my shoulders pulling me in close to her where our heads rest against one another's.

As I sit against Rosalie, I feel a warmth course through my body. I lift my head gently, turning my face slightly toward her, allowing my eyes to gaze at her beautiful face. She turns toward me meeting my gaze. My eyes lower toward her lips noting their exquisite rose color. Rosalie leans forward, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek next to my lips. I close my eyes, savoring the feeling of electrical waves overtaking my senses. She envelopes me in her arms pulling me into her body as she kisses my forehead.

As I am lying in Rosalie's arms, it occurs to me that I have never felt so loved and protected. And so I allow myself to forget, just for a moment, that the clock is ticking… the seconds marking the time I have left of my sanity...


	6. Chapter 6

Something Meaningful

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

A/N: I know that I have been MIA… but, hey, what can I say… I've been enjoying summer… Happy reading!

RPOV

"Bella," I say softly, reluctant to disturb our intimate moment, "as much as I am enjoying holding you in my arms, I think time is of the essence right now. We need to make a run for it before those disgusting, poor excuse for a humanoid, come back. Do you feel strong enough to walk?"

"Yes. I am so ready to get out of here that I will crawl if I need to," she replies.

Chuckling, I say, "You won't need to crawl, Bella. If I have to I will carry you out. One way or another we are both getting out of here." I peel myself from her body, standing up while extending a hand out for her to grab and help her get up. She seems a bit clumsy at first, losing her balance, but I quickly take a hold of her supporting her with my body while she works at regaining her balance.

"I'm good… I'm good, Rosalie. I can stand on my own," she says irritably as she extends her arms out to push me away.

I roll my eyes, moving away from her and start to walk cautiously toward the entrance that was made by the Humanoids blasting the boulder that had us trapped inside. I turn back to Bella extending my hand for her to take. She looks over at me, smiles, and slips her hand in mine as we proceed together toward the entrance of the cave.

As we neared the opening, I could see artificial lighting coming through. I motioned for Bella to stay put while I inched my way up to the entryway and peaked around the corners to make sure it was clear before we crossed the threshold into the cave hallway. I couldn't see any movement or smell any scent coming from either direction so I proceeded forward motioning with my hand to Bella to come forward. As we stepped into the hallway, the walls were made of some kind of steel frame.

"Rosalie, how are we going to know in which direction to go to get out of here?" Bella turned her head to the right then to the left letting her eyes scan down both corridors. "Those military guys could be right around the corner;" she whispered.

I stood quietly, closing my eyes trying to pick up some kind of air current to guide me toward an opening that would lead us outside of this underground facility. "This way…" I motioned with my hand. I turned left leading us down a hallway. Bella hurried up to me and grabbed my hand in hers. I looked down at our intertwined hands and then I looked up at her, a smile forming on my lips. She noticed and returned my smile.

At that moment, as our eyes locked, I wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss her precious ruby lips. But I held myself in check; reminding myself that the priority was to get Bella to a hospital to get the rabies treatment before it was too late… for a split second my smile faltered as fear set in over the thought that I could lose the love of my life just when I finally found her.

I shook all negative thoughts away replacing them with the conviction that one way or another, my Bella, would live; even if I had to do the unthinkable… It hit me as we walked together down the hallway that I would do anything… and I mean anything… to keep Bella alive. If I couldn't get her out in time, I was prepared to face the dark night of my non-soul and go against all my principles and arguments that I believed in regarding not turning a human into a vampire.

It finally dawned on me that all my previous arguments against being turned into a vampire held no sway or power over my overwhelming need for Bella… perhaps it was my own selfishness that was coming through but I didn't care. My NEED to have Bella in my life was all that mattered to me. And so, Love really does trump all…

As we neared the end of the corridor, I could see what looked like the door to an elevator. There was a panel on the side of the door. "Great! We need a code to work the elevator door," I yelled, slamming the underside of my fist against the wall beside the panel.

"What if we start pushing buttons randomly on the panel," Bella said. "We could get lucky and hit the right code to open the door." She looked over to me, grinning sheepishly, knowing that I would find this method ridiculous.

I responded with a stern gaze. "Bella, I don't think - " Suddenly, a noise could be heard from the elevator. It sounded like the elevator had just kicked on.

"Rosalie, the elevator! It's functional… their coming back! Bella screamed." Her face displayed pure terror.

"Calm down, Bella!" I quickly considered my options. Either I wait for whoever is coming and fight my way out of here – which I would do in a heartbeat if it was just me – or I seek cover so I can assess the level of danger to us. I decide to be cautious as I don't want to risk any harm coming to Bella. "Okay, we need to find cover." My eyes scanned the hallway we had just come down. Then I saw it. "Look, there's a vent in the wall."

Bella looked over to where I was pointing. "OMG, I didn't notice that vent when we were walking down the hallway," she says. "Will we both fit in there?"

"Yes. Quickly, I need to get the vent cover off." I said. I took a hold of the rim of the cover and pulled it off. I looked inside the vent noticing the aluminum tube or tunnel which led inward. "Bella, I know I said you wouldn't need to crawl but I need you to get in the vent shaft and crawl forward. I will be right behind you. I just need to close the vent cover back up." Just as I closed the vent cover, the elevator door opened. I saw two men in white lab coats walk out of the elevator.

"That was just plain freaky!" The blond haired man yelped.

"I think the human-dog hybrid beats all the freakazoids in this place!" The red haired man responded excitedly as they both headed down the corridor laughing.

I frowned as I heard their conversation trying to decipher what was so funny about the hybridization of a dog & human. If anything, it was disgusting to even visualize such a thing. I turned around crawling through the vent shaft to catch up with Bella. When I found her, she was displaying a similar face that I had just expressed when I was visualizing the dog-human hybrid. "Bella, what's wrong?"

She pointed to a vent in the side of the tube shaft we were in. "What in the world is going on here, Rosalie? That thing… it looks like a cross between a human and a dog!"

As I looked through the small vent, I could see a room that resembled a lab with tables. There were humans in white coats standing over the tables which were occupied by covered bodies. My eyes scanned the room and saw the "hu-dog" hybrid Bella was pointing at. The head of the body was human but the rest of the body was canine.

Bella grabbed my arm leaning her body into me as she buried her face in my neck. "Oh Rosalie, how horrid! I can't look anymore. Those military scientists are doing repulsive genetic experiments with humans and animals!"

"So, this explains all the disappearances… they have been abducting humans for experimentation," I said. I scanned the lab again noticing an area in the far right corner of the lab which contained large cages with humans and other species in them. "Bella, we have got to get out of here, NOW! I need to get you to a hospital to get treated for the rabies and then let your Dad know about what is going on here so we can rescue these humans."

"And the animals too!" Bella said.

"Of course, my love." I responded softly, placing my head on hers. I closed my eyes momentarily breathing in her wonderful scent. I knew we needed to move on and proceed further down the vent shaft but I urgently needed to take a moment to feel her warm body close to mine. I didn't know if we would get another chance at intimacy any time soon.

As if she could sense my need, Bella lifted her head from my neck, locking her eyes with mine and grabbing my wrist as she pulled me with her further down the vent shaft, never taking her eyes off me. She pulled me into her body as she caressed my cheek with her hand, our faces now so close, I could feel her warm breath against my skin, sending tingles down my spine. The air around us was electrified as we slowly closed the gap between us; our lips touching for the first time.

Our lips moved slowly, tenderly against each other's, savoring the taste and feel of the other's lips. I licked Bella's lower lip, hearing a low moan emanating from her. She opened her mouth slightly allowing our tongues to meet. Our gentleness turned more passionate. I could feel the heat rise in my body as I furiously kissed her mouth; our tongues fighting for dominance. We finally broke apart so Bella could breathe. "Wow… that was incredible," Bella says huskily.

"That it was…" I whispered with a smirk as I took this moment to kiss her neck, my teeth gently scraping over the pulsating throb in her throat and licking her pulse point. My eyes no doubt having turned pitch black. Hesitantly, I pulled back from her needing to take some control lest I accidentally bite her while in the throes of such exquisite pleasure that kissing her was giving me. We sat holding each other for a while longer wanting this moment to last.

Of course, reality seeped in when we were sucked out of our little world as we heard a blood curdling scream emanating from the lab. "Rosalie, someone's being tortured! We have to go get help for those people."

"Let's go Bella. Keep crawling down the vent shaft. This shaft has to lead out of this facility at some point." We followed the shaft down further. As we approached an area down ways, there were these light fixtures on the shaft wall that I didn't notice until we passed its threshold and suddenly the lights started blinking and a loud alarm started going off.

"Oh no, Rosalie! We tripped some alarm. They're going to be looking for us now!"

"Look, up ahead, there is another vent cover. Let's get out of the shaft and look for somewhere to hide," I said. We got out of the vent shaft and walked down another corridor.

"We don't know our way around this place. How are we going to know where to hide?" Bella asked nervously.

Just at this moment, someone opened a door … I moved at vampire speed toward the man as he was coming out of the room. I was too fast for him to see me but he did spot Bella as he stepped out into the corridor. He pointed a gun at Bella and was about to pull the trigger when I grabbed his head and broke his neck.

Bella hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath the whole time as she let herself take in some much needed air. "OMG, Rosalie! He almost killed me…"

"This way, Bella. This room is as good a hiding place as we are going to find at the moment." I dragged the man's body into the room with us. I looked around the room and realized it was the man's bedroom. There was only one bed in the room so he must not share the room with anyone else. There was a small refrigerator in the room. "Bella, look inside the refrigerator for some food for you."

"To be honest, I haven't really had time to feel hungry; what with fearing for my life and yours and all," Bella said. I gave her one of my stern glares until she finally gave in and looked inside the refrigerator finding bread, sandwich meats, and cheese. She made herself a sandwich and took out bottled water that she also found in the refrigerator.

While Bella ate, I concentrated on coming up with a plan. "I need to venture out on my own, Bella, to check out the landscape. You will be safer if you stay here in the meantime."

"No, Rosalie! You can't leave me here alone. I need to be with you in case you get into trouble, I can help."

"Bella, I haven't fed for several days. I am getting weaker. A vampire can go without blood for only so long; becoming weaker the longer one doesn't feed. A vampire doesn't die without blood but will not be able to move a muscle without it. I will be no good to you if I don't even have the strength to move."

"Rosalie… I'm not feeling too good… my head is hurting and suddenly I'm feeling disoriented." Bella started to lose her balance.

I grabbed her in time to help her lay down on the bed. "Bella, you need to rest. The rabies symptoms are going to be getting worse. We need to get you out of here before the virus completely invades your brain; shutting down your organs. This is another reason why I need to go out in search of a way out of here."

"Okay, Rosalie. If you think it is best for you to go out on your own. I realize now that I am too weak to go with you. I would only slow you down."

"Bella, I am not abandoning you. Please know that. I will come back for you once I have found the way out and fed." I leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. She returned my kiss eagerly.

I broke from the kiss and our eyes locked. Bella opened her mouth as if to speak, then hesitated, as I watched her with a curious expression on my face, "what?" I finally asked.

"I… I just wanted you to know… I love you, Rosalie."

I smiled at her. She smiled back. "I love you, too, Bella." I walked toward the door turning the knob and looked back at her one last time, "always and forever…" I said as I walked out the door.


End file.
